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CompTIA A+ vs Google IT Support Certificate: Which to Get First?
A+ is a certification you earn by passing two exams. Google's IT Support certificate is a six-course program on Coursera. Compare what each one is, costs, and shows, then choose from your own situation.
Short answer
They are different kinds of credential, so the right first step depends on what the jobs you want ask for and on how you learn. CompTIA A+ is a vendor-neutral certification earned by passing two 90-minute exams, Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202), at a Pearson VUE test center or online. The Google IT Support Professional Certificate is a six-course online program on Coursera, completed through coursework with graded assessments. Start with A+ if the postings you want name it. Start with the Google certificate if you need teaching from zero. Google says its program also prepares you for the A+ exams, so the two can be done in sequence.
What is the difference between A+ and the Google IT Support Certificate?
One is a certification you earn by passing exams, and the other is a certificate you earn by completing courses. CompTIA describes A+ as "a vendor-neutral, entry-level certification that includes two 90-minute exams with practical, performance-based questions." Coursera lists the Google IT Support Professional Certificate as a six-course series from Google with graded assessments and hands-on labs. The table shows what CompTIA's A+ pages and the Coursera page for Google's program listed on November 6, 2026.
| CompTIA A+ | Google IT Support Professional Certificate | |
|---|---|---|
| Who issues it | CompTIA | Google, offered on Coursera |
| What it is | A vendor-neutral, entry-level certification | A Professional Certificate made up of six courses |
| How you earn it | Pass two exams from the same version, Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202), with 675 and 700 on a scale of 900 | Complete the courses, which include graded assessments and hands-on labs |
| Where | At a Pearson VUE test center or online | Online on Coursera, at your own pace |
| Prerequisites | No formal prerequisites. CompTIA recommends 12 months of hands-on experience in an IT support specialist role | None. Beginner level, no prior experience required |
| Time the issuer lists | Two 90-minute exams of up to 90 questions each. No required study hours | 3 months at 10 hours a week, or about three to six months to reach job readiness |
| Price shown | $274 per exam voucher in CompTIA's U.S. store, so $548 for both before any retake | No program price on the page we read. Coursera says financial aid is available |
| How long it lasts | Three years from the date you pass your second exam, then renewed through CompTIA's continuing education program | The Coursera page mentions no expiration date |
| Other recognition | Accredited by ANSI under ISO 17024. CompTIA lists DoD 8140 approved work roles | ACE credit recommendation. Each college decides whether to accept it |
Neither credential replaces the other, and neither one guarantees a job. The rest of this guide is about which one fits your situation first.
What does each one teach or test?
A+ V15 tests nine domains across its two exams. Core 1 covers mobile devices, networking, hardware, virtualization and cloud computing, and hardware and network troubleshooting. Core 2 covers operating systems, security, software troubleshooting, and operational procedures. The Core 1 vs Core 2 guide lists the weights. A+ does not teach anything by itself. It is the test, and you choose how to prepare.
Google's program is the teaching. Coursera lists its courses and hours as:
- Technical Support Fundamentals, 19 hours
- The Bits and Bytes of Computer Networking, 22 hours
- Operating Systems and You: Becoming a Power User, 28 hours
- System Administration and IT Infrastructure Services, 24 hours
- IT Security: Defense against the digital dark arts, 23 hours
- Accelerate Your Job Search with AI, 6 hours, which the page calls optional
The course descriptions include building a computer, networking services such as DNS and DHCP, the Windows and Linux command lines, directory services, and security basics. That is a large overlap with A+, and Google says so: the page states that the program "also prepares you for the CompTIA A+ exams."
The overlap is not stated as complete. Google's FAQ says the program aligns with the objectives of "the newly updated CompTIA A+ certification," without naming an exam version, and tells graduates to download the A+ exam objectives "to ensure that you've studied everything before taking the exams." Take that advice literally. Check each V15 objective against what the courses taught you, then test the result: full A+ prep lets you practice each of the nine A+ domains separately, which shows quickly where a course left a gap.
Which should you get first?
| Your situation | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The postings you want list A+ as required or preferred | A+ | It is the credential those employers screen for |
| You have no IT background and learn best from structured lessons and labs | Google certificate | It is built for beginners with no prior experience and teaches the material in order |
| You are aiming at Department of Defense or contractor support roles | A+ | CompTIA lists DoD 8140 approved work roles for A+. Still read the posting's own requirement |
| You already repair or support computers and can study from an objectives list | A+ | You may not need six courses to cover what you already do |
| You want both | Google certificate, then A+ | Google says the program prepares you for the A+ exams and that finishing both earns a dual credential |
| The postings you want name neither | Neither yet | Put the effort into experience first, and recheck postings later |
The first and last rows depend on evidence you can collect in an hour. The A+ worth-it guide has a ten-posting check: open ten current postings for the job you want and record which credentials each one names. Run it with both names in mind.
Both issuers make claims about employers. CompTIA says A+ "appears in more tech support job listings than any other IT credential." Google says graduates "can directly apply for jobs with Google and over 150 U.S. employers." Those are each organization's statements about its own product. Passy has not verified either one, and neither tells you what employers in your area ask for.
Can the Google certificate replace A+?
Not where a posting asks for A+ by name. They are separate credentials from separate organizations. Finishing Google's program does not award A+. Google's FAQ says the dual credential comes when you "complete the certificate and pass the CompTIA A+ certification exams," and describes it as a badge from CompTIA and Google that can be posted on LinkedIn. You still have to book and pass both CompTIA exams.
The reverse is also true. Passing A+ does not give you Google's certificate or its coursework.
The two also show different things. A+ shows that you met CompTIA's passing standard on two timed exams. The Google certificate shows that you completed a guided program and its graded work. A hiring manager may value either, both, or neither next to real support experience, which is why the posting check matters more than any general ranking.
What does each path cost in money and time?
A+. On November 6, 2026, CompTIA's U.S. store listed the A+ exam voucher at $274, and each exam needs its own voucher, so the exam fees are $548 if you pass both on the first try. The A+ cost guide covers Retake Assurance, voucher rules, and regional pricing. CompTIA sets no required study hours. The study time guide shows how to estimate yours. The certification is valid for three years from the date you pass the second exam.
Google certificate. The hours Coursera lists for the six courses add up to 122, and the page summarizes the pace as 3 months at 10 hours a week. The page we read did not show a program price, so this guide does not quote one. Coursera's FAQ says you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship in select programs if you cannot afford the enrollment fee. Check the enrollment screen for the price in your country before you compare.
Both. The time adds up, and the A+ exam fees apply whichever order you choose. If cost is your main limit, compare real totals: Google's enrollment price for the months you expect to need, against $548 in exam fees plus whatever A+ study material you choose.
Paid A+ prep is optional. If you want it, full A+ prep is a one-time payment for 30, 90, or 180 days, with no auto-renewal, so you can match the period to your two exam dates.
After the Google certificate, what is left to do for A+?
Treat the certificate as most of your learning, then prepare for the exams as exams.
- Download both V15 objectives documents and mark every objective you could not explain to a coworker. Let those marks, not the course titles, decide where you study.
- Take a short diagnostic. The free A+ practice questions have ten scenarios for each core, with explanations.
- Learn the exam format. Each A+ exam has up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, including performance-based questions. The A+ PBQ guide explains those.
- Rehearse under time. A course lets you pause, and an exam does not. The 90-minute timed mock in full A+ prep has 90 questions, mixes both cores by their official weights, and is scored at the end.
- Book both exams in the same version. V15 launched March 25, 2025, and CompTIA estimates its retirement for 2028. The scheduling guide covers test center and online appointments.
What if A+ is your first step?
Then you are choosing your own teaching. Start from the objectives and a plan. The A+ study guide lays out both exams, and the free A+ study plan builds an outline for one core or both from each exam's domain weights.
You can still take Google's courses later for the guided labs. Nothing in either program requires a particular order.
If you prefer to learn by answering questions and reading why each choice is right or wrong, full A+ prep has 725 questions for each A+ exam, every one explained. For the next decision after A+, see A+ or Security+ first, and the rest of the library is in the A+ guides hub.
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Official sources
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